Mites?

[Spring Chickens]

I think some of what you are seeing is probably rooster damage too. From mounting. 7 hens to one roo is a bit on the low side, a few more hens might help also. He's going to mount the more submissive birds more often. His claws are probably what's causing some of the feather loss on backs and wings.

This is what I thought for the little hens too with the wings, we actually hatched 10 more chicks from these guys so we will have more hens soon.

 

[Spring Chickens]

I think your problem is not mites, adults are generally more resistent to them and your setup is spacious. If they were sleeping on a floor in the dirt, i would say you may have a mite issue, but the molting is more of a hint as to what is going on. Definitely need a supplement during molting if their diet is the issue.

They have good dust baths? My chickens like dry sand out in the sun, or even dusty dry dirt to bathe.

Okay thank you, yes they have sand in the sun and lots of dust, they bath often. Good to know it’s not an obvious mite issue at least, fingers crossed for just molting. Is giving them starter crumble mixed with their layer a good way to supplement?

 

[coach723]

I feed all my birds flock raiser. Your roo does not need the extra calcium in layer feed, and long term it can have negative health affects for those that don't need the calcium (the boys, and older hens or those not laying due to molt or taking the winter off). When the store is out of flock raiser I feed everybody starter or starter/grower. Something in the 18% protein range. Just have oyster shell out for the hens that need the calcium in a separate feeder all the time. When I hatch chicks they get one bag of starter then I switch them to flock raiser.

 

[Spring Chickens]

I

I feed all my birds flock raiser. Your roo does not need the extra calcium in layer feed, and long term it can have negative health affects for those that don't need the calcium (the boys, and older hens or those not laying due to molt or taking the winter off). When the store is out of flock raiser I feed everybody starter or starter/grower. Something in the 18% protein range. Just have oyster shell out for the hens that need the calcium in a separate feeder all the time. When I hatch chicks they get one bag of starter then I switch them to flock raiser

I feed all my birds flock raiser. Your roo does not need the extra calcium in layer feed, and long term it can have negative health affects for those that don't need the calcium (the boys, and older hens or those not laying due to molt or taking the winter off). When the store is out of flock raiser I feed everybody starter or starter/grower. Something in the 18% protein range. Just have oyster shell out for the hens that need the calcium in a separate feeder all the time. When I hatch chicks they get one bag of starter then I switch them to flock raiser.

Thanks for the info! I’ve never even heard of flock raiser? Always went from starter to grower then layer. I can ask my feed store if they carry flock raiser.

 

[Spring Chickens]

Hello again everyone, so I stopped the treats and made sure I had a high protein feed and my chickens are acting way better, growing feathers back faster and overall seem healthier again. Even more consistent laying.

But now my rooster, who has always been healthy, is sick. I noticed he was scratching his head more than before for a few days and now he is letting his head fall down, shaking his head and super lethargic, for the last 3 days. My one hens wing damage is even recovering because he is not mating.
I checked him for lice and mites and I didn’t see anything obvious but in a few other hens I saw what could have been a few mites near the vent area? It just looked like black pepper and a few small bites near the vent.

Do you think my roosters symptoms could be due to mites? And if so how do I have to clean the coop for mites?
I am in Canada so only product available is dr. Doom

Or is it possibly just a sickness making it’s way slowly through my flock?